


-and a beginning.

by Ser_Renity



Category: Bleach
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Character Study, F/F, Fix-It, Gen, Harribel POV, POV Second Person, Post-Canon, Post-Canon Fix-It
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-26
Updated: 2016-09-26
Packaged: 2018-08-17 12:14:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8143643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ser_Renity/pseuds/Ser_Renity
Summary: //goes with "A start- at last-"





	

* * *

 

 

Being the ruler of an entire world was not easy. You had known that from the very start; you had never doubted it would take more from you than determination to succeed.

  
However, you were the queen and the queen cared for her people. It was what you told Mila Rose once when she lay before you weak and defenseless, it was what you etched into every crevice of your mind.

  
Hollows weren’t meant to feel, the shinigami used to say, they buried their hearts in their masks and live on instinct.

  
Oh, but you felt. So deeply and so terrifyingly real, in fact, that Aizen needed little more than fear for your own to keep you under control.

 

* * *

 

 

Nelliel brought you to a human house in the world of the living and you had no idea what was expected of you- were there customs you didn’t know of, rituals that you needed to follow? Nelliel had assured you this was not a political mission but your mind was racing- when wasn’t it- trying to come up with a scenario that was not quite as terrible as the worst of your fears.

  
Orihime Inoue opened the door and you didn’t feel as stressed anymore immediately- you knew her, had met her before, remembered the kindness of her heart.

  
“Oh, hello!” she said and clapped her hands together in front of her body, “Please, come in, I was waiting for you!”

 

* * *

 

 

Between the two of them they were a force to be reckoned with- both in battle and persuasion.

  
However, today was not a day to fight at all. Wars had been so common for you and your kind that it was difficult to accept another default state. You were a creature of battle at heart because you had long since abandoned the hope for anything else- you pressed on because of others, because there had been enough sacrifices to last a life time.

  
“Here’s the list I made with Nel,” Orihime said and handed you a piece of paper, “I hope you like it.”

  
It was a language you understood and you were glad- you wondered if they had asked your fracciónes in advance to make sure your pride was kept in tact. There was nothing worse than failing to do something that was easy for others; even though, rationally, you knew there was no shame in it. A divide between all things de jure and de facto made all the difference.

  
The handwriting was neat and tidy but that was not what made you hesitate instantaneously.

  
“ _How to make Harribel have the best and happiest time_ ” it said, in different colors and somehow looking as cheerful as words on a page could.

  
It almost brought tears to your eyes.

 

* * *

 

 

You remembered the time Nelliel arrived at Las Noches when the war ended, her grudging companion Grimmjow in tow.

  
“I was the Espada of sacrifice before you,” she said to you and smiled, “I understand what you are going through.”

  
And she did, better than anyone else and with a kindness remaining in her that you both envied and feared.

  
You were strong, stronger than her and every other Arrancar left in the worlds, but you were not kind. It was the fatal flaw of a queen who cared for her people- you didn’t know how to show it, didn’t quite understand body language and mannerisms.

  
Your fracciónes understood but there were still days when you wished you could be less distant, less on guard.

  
“You don’t need to shoulder this burden alone,” Nelliel told you and squeezed your shoulder, knowing exactly what to do, “None of us are going to take your crown, we’re here to support you.”

  
You wondered where it had come from, that kindness in a world that was as terrifying as it was bleak. You used to imagine her nice words as festering wounds hidden from view, growing in the dark like poisonous plants in caves.

  
“We’ll be there when you wake up,” Apacci assured you with a hand on your side, “Rest now.”

  
It took you years to realize they didn’t need you to be strong for them all the time.

 

* * *

 

 

Orihime and Nelliel took you for a simple walk at first, out in the sunshine along a riverside. It had been so long since you went to the human world with time to look at what was around you, take in the sights and smell and warmth of the place.

  
Humans were cruel, too, you knew that much- but you watched the sluggish flow of water with the reflecting sunlight and its sparkling brightness either way. There was beauty in them, in the simple things that Hueco Mundo could not have and you never even knew you missed.

  
You listened to Orihime and Nelliel talk about everything and nothing and there was no pressure to join them, no pressure at all to have to voice an opinion you couldn’t form at this point.

  
You just walked and felt the wind on your skin and the sunlight on you and it was so much more than you hoped it would be. It was the closest you had felt to being alive in a long time.

  
Once Hollow there was no way to go back to the world before so it was no surprise that creatures like you or Nelliel loved the thought of it. You knew she spent time in the Soul Society as well, every now and again she shared the stories of what she saw in their forests and open fields.

  
Nature was alive there and you were drawn to it like moths to the flame, fascinated by all living things.

  
“Are you okay?” Orihime asked you and you realized you had not said anything for a while, if her concerned expression was anything to go by.

  
“Yes,” you said and meant it, “I’m quite alright.”

 

* * *

 

 

They knew you shouldn’t be overwhelmed with novelty and never once forgot to ask if you wanted what they proposed.

  
All the things on the list were small tasks, little things to do on a lazy summer afternoon.

  
It was “Do you want to try this?” and “How about that?” until you were no longer starved for sights and your heart felt whole and healthy. You were warmer, calmer, satisfied.

 

* * *

 

 

Orihime took your hand with care and smiled at you, all the radiance of her soul exposed.

  
“Do you know how to dance?” she asked you.

  
You were in her house, an extraordinary human and a Hollow, just the two of you now.

  
Somewhere in the recesses of your mind you had memories of dancing and certain steps you needed to follow but you told her the truth- you were not sure, had not tried in a long time.

  
So she played music on her phone and led you through the dancing steps of another novelty, the last task on the list.

  
“Trust me,” she said and you did, had done since the moment she saved your life in Aizen’s war.

  
Dancing with her was not like fighting but your style in battle was already graceful and fluid. Even as Queen you could take orders from those you respected- or rather suggestions, because nothing about Orihime was strict or confining.

  
“You are doing so well,” she told you and laughed, “This is fun.”

  
It was; you wished your fracciónes could have this, too. You told her as much.

  
“Well, I don’t mind coming to Hueco Mundo and giving them a lesson on this,” Orihime admitted, “I think it is really important for us to be closer in order to achieve true peace.”

  
“Understanding is the first step to acceptance,” you agreed and smiled, “And with humans like you around I do not doubt we could make an alliance between our worlds a reality.”

  
Orihime blushed and laughed nervously.

  
“That’s so kind of you to say.”

  
_Kind_. You were surprised by the word, had not seen yourself like that. Maybe, you thought, just maybe, there were things you could learn even now.

 

* * *

 

 

Mila Rose was the only one around when you returned and you kissed her because you could- because you loved her and it was not something you did nearly enough.

  
The blush on her dark skin was pretty and you saw her confusion mixed with happiness, leaned your forehead against hers.

  
“Do you feel better?” she asked you, “I guess we gotta thank the human for that idea.”

  
“We’ll go together soon,” you told her quietly and felt her breath hitch, “All four of us.”

  
They were your world even after all this time- but you could learn how to expand the horizons that limited you.

  
You were the queen of this world; you could do just about anything.

 

* * *

 


End file.
